By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Feb. 15, 2018) Pocomoke City Councilwoman Esther Troast is seeking support to help #FixLocalRoads.

Troast attended a recent Mayor’s Association Conference in Annapolis on behalf of ailing Mayor Bruce Morrison, and said she came back with a many new contacts and information.

The most important, she said, was the Maryland Municipal League campaign to return so-called “Gas Tax” funds.

“I was a little hesitant to go, because I’m only keeping Bruce’s seat warm for him, but I was encouraged to go and I’m glad I did,” she said during a City Council meeting last Monday. “It was very educational. I made a lot of contacts. I brought back a lot of valuable information and turned it over to [City Manager] Bobby [Cowger] today to distribute to the different departments.

“I met a lot of really influential people who can help Pocomoke, so I was very glad that I went,” she added.

Troast said there was pending legislation in the Maryland House of Delegates (House Bill 807) and Senate (Senate Bill 516) that would “put money back into the budget, in astronomical amounts, to fix our roadways.”

“Not just highways, but local roads,” she said. “If it’s ever going to get passed, this is the time for it to get passed … if it doesn’t get through this year for the governor and the legislators to put this in our budget, it’s probably never going to happen.”

She brought postcards with the Maryland Municipal League logo and the hashtag #FixLocalRoads, along with contact information for Del. Charles Otto (R-36A), Del. Mary Beth Carozza (R-38C), Del. Carl Anderton (R-38B) and Sen. Jim Mathias (D-38).

“If you could pick up one of these postcards and address it to either one of these people on that page … you don’t have to write a message, you don’t even have to sign your name,” she said. “Just so they get endowed with these postcards, so they know that we’re serious about getting this money back into our local governments.”

Troast suggested filling out the cards with localized haghtags like #FixCedarStreet or #FixMarketStreetPocomoke.

“Whatever you feel like putting that hashtag on there,” she said. “I really would appreciate you all doing this, because as you know, we could use the money here in Pocomoke to fix our roads. A postage stamp is all you’ve got to invest in it.”

Troast said additional postcards could be picked up in City Hall, or use the hashtag #FixLocalRoads on social media.

A hearing was scheduled for SB 516 on Feb. 14, after press time.

HB 807, sponsored by Anderton and Del. Pam Beidle (D-32), is scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 22 during the House Environment and Transportation Committee meeting.